Hello, new user here. I was just buying the device but the lack of usb-3 and desktop mode preventend me from buying the phone. There will ever be a Fairphone6+ or an upgrade module for the Fairphone 6?
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Pleasw read the topic to not start this speculation anew. Thanks
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I won’t read 185 messages thx. I just need a clear answer.
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Well, no one asked you to read everything. Read until you have your answer.
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In short:
The FP6 is missing needed hardware data lanes for USB 3.x eventhough the chip supports it.
So the FP6 won’t ever be able to get USB 3.x: no DisplayPort, no high data rates, no plan from Fairphone to remediate the situation by introducing either FP6+ or a successor. Maybe it’s still a bit early for prognoses. Reasons for that were to make the phone cheaper for the target market.
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There won’t be an upgrade module. And none of us know whether they’ll make a FP6+, there’s been nothing to indicate there will be so far.
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That’s actually great news because if it works that easily and is stable for screen mirroring that means, FP could simply allow it with an OS Update within the regular settings too.
It’s not a screen mirror per se, it’s just a debug feature available mainly for software development. You need a computer with installed Android toolset, and phone with enabled developer mode to use this feature.
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What use cases there are for desktop mode for phones of all things? Presumably you have some sort of computer if you have a monitor to mirror to.
I am with you there. “There is No Reason for Any Individual To Have a Computer in Their Home”
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The most obvious use case is of a docking station + smartphone (replacing the core which is - till now - a laptop) or presenting something on bigger (maybe non-smart) displays/projectors. Display mirroring have many pre-requirements to function, which is pretty rare to find in the “wild”.
Furthermore and eventually there’s also the future scenario of using lapdocks (like NexDock or uPerfect) instead of having a defragmented pair of Laptop + Smartphone. Which would be a great win for sustainability as you’d have a robust lapdock with whatever screen, keyboard and touchpad quality you wish for a long time (as these parts are usually more repairable - and affordably so -, and age slower) and updating the core of the system in form of your phone (think APU, RAM etc…) in shorter terms.
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I use the video out from my FP4 quite a lot and to have this feature lacking in the FP6 is the most prominent drawback for me. My use cases are:
- to stream video to two connected screens in the backseat of the car (FP4+ usb-C to HDMI + HDMI plitter).
- To stream video to my TV: why have internet at home when I only need it when I am at home together with my phone which has a dataplan. So, remove the router and chromecast and directly plug in your phone to watch a movie on your TV (benefit: you cannot be distracted by your phone when watching a movie!).
By having a phone which has video out capabilities actually limits the amount of electronic devices in my life.
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I’m creating this topic because I wanted to voice my opinion on the FP6 USB 2.0 connector. I followed the Fairphone products for years now and always (and still) admired the philosophy behind the company and the phones.
The time has came when my wife has to replace her phone. I was overjoyed when I read about the Fairphone 6 and the great score it received on iFixit. I tought is was the perfect choice for her. Sadly, my enthusiasm has broken down as soon as I read the specifications on GSM Arena and learned that it uses USB 2.0, and there are no display out options for this phone. I understand the business decision behind it, but it also made me skip this device entirely. I hope that the company revisit this decision, and either releases a revamped version or a buyable USB 3.1 connector (if that is possible with the current hardware design). Until then, the PF6 is a no-go for us.
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Welcome to the forum.
Maybe in your case the FP5 would be an option: USB-C 3.0 (OTG capable) can be used to connect USB Sticks/SD-Cards/display (also Android™ desktop mode)/Camera/Audio Amplifier/Network-adapters directly
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There is also no OTG mode on the FP6 for the USB endoscope camera, for example?
I can’t find any official info that the FP6 supports OTG, but as far as I remember I’ve read about it has OTG.
But I’ve tried external storages (USB sticks, USB SSDs). They worked and could be accessed and controlled from the phone.
Unfortunately I don’t have a webcam with USB C to try it for you.
EDIT (added information)
I’ve tried this USB-C dock LC.DCK11.001 from Acer with the following results:
- wired LAN via ethernetport was working
- audio out with 3,5mm audio jack was working
- sd cards could be accessed with the internal reader
- attached USB storage devices to the dock worked like direct connection
- attached a “normal” USB webcam (Creative LiveCam with 720p) to the dock made the webcam look active (led on), but I had no idea how to get access to the video stream of the, maybe it needs a certain app
With information I’m quite sure that the FP6 supports OTG.
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Likely. OTG came as a supplement of USB 2.0 years ago.
Did you try just with the Camera app?
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Yes, just the system cameras were available. Didn’t see any option to change the camera source.
EDIT (additional tests)
Downloaded this from F-Droid:
Camera gets recognized and could be configured. Didn’t play around with it any more, because the camera has a broken lens and so I can’t confirm if the stream is working properly.
As I’ve also seen many apps in Google Playstore for USB cams, even endoscopic ones, so I think it works with FP6.
Tomorrow, when I’m at work, Ill give it at try with a Dino-Lite USB micsrocopic cam.
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Today I’ve done some tests with the following setup:
- FP6 + installed USB Camera from Playstore
- connected to USB hub/dock (ZMUIPNG ZM1833 USB-C 12-in-1-adapter, no link available)
- attached Dino-Lite Edge webcam to the hub
And the result is working as you can see here:
It’s working!
What I’ve found out that the camera needs to be compatible to UVC.
EDIT:
USB hub description added
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Hi all,
I’m not in the immediate market for a FP6, but the mention of USB 2.0 was a shock and would prevent me buying one, so I came here to learn more about the reality. I’ve done a few searches in the thread and it seems that the USB-C port really is USB 2.0 only but does have some OTG functionality. However I’ve not seen any mention of data transfer speeds exactly (though I’ve not read all 200 posts, please excuse me). Is it really stuck with 480 Mbit/s (60 MB/s) maximum? Typically 30MB/s?
The reason this rules it out for me is because I backup the files (mainly photos and videos) from my FP4 using USB-C (Wifi is way slower and removing the SD card is a faff), and when I’m travelling I use USB tethering for my laptop to share my phone’s internet connection (again for speed and also avoiding congested Wifi bands on a train or in a crowded space).
Cheers 
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